Jedi Training

Star Wars, A very fun party theme! When our family was at Disneyland, there was a show that did Jedi training and Chandler so ambitiously raised his hand from the front row to be selected as one that would train to become a Jedi.Unfortunately he did not get picked and was convinced if we showed up to the next show and he was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt he would get picked. The young children where shown some Jedi moves and prepared to use the force to battle Darth Vader. In the show each child was given a Jedi robe and a light saber to conquer the battle with the dark side force. Saturday was Chandler's party and Stephen woke up with great exuberance to put the last minute touches of the party together. We had stayed up until 10:30pm the night before decorating and putting together gift bags. Stephen had purchased light sabers for each party guest and bought material to sew each child a Jedi robe. The robes where a last minute add on and a very great idea, but I about died when Stephen woke up early Saturday morning, left to go to the store and came back with yards and yards of material to sew Jedi robes. I put on a smile and wondered how on earth we would get 12 of them done, but pressed on with glee. Stephen cut the pattern and pinned. I sewed and within 2 hours we had 12 Jedi robes completed and 2 hours to spare before the party. I realized with team work the load sure lightens. What a great husband! The children arrived and put on their Jedi garb, they picked a light saber and began to duel with one another. They watched "Return of the Jedi" to add to their skills and where told to pay close attention to the training video, for after they would go to field training. After the movie I played the Star Wars theme song and when the music got to the heavy, dark part of the theme song, Stephen came down the stairs dressed as Darth Vader. The kids got so excited. The training began. The kids had to hit a force ball that was automatically pitched to them and hit it with their light saber, dodged flinging marshmallows, carefully tossed water balloons and last, a blind fold guessing game. The little Jedi's battled with Vader and at the end of training, received a certified Jedi training certificate.
Chandler tucked this party into his memory as one of the best birthday's and was still talking about it on the Way to school the following Monday morning. Chandler's perception and amazement of how much the Jedi training was like the training at Disneyland tickled me, he commented on every detail from the Jedi robes to how I looked like the woman Jedi trainer. Chandler even got the Star Wars T-shirt (a $7.99 one from Wal Mart). Children only have one childhood and my hope as a parent is that my children will take with them into their adulthood happy, positive memories.
*May the force be with you*